Cat Fear No Evil
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Harper Collins, March 2004, $24.95, 336 pp.
ISBN 0066209498

In the small town of Molena Point, just South of San Francisco, live three very special felines who can talk to and be understood by humans. Only six people in the town know the secrets of the cats and since they love Joe Grey, Dulcie and Kit, they will not tell anyone. In the past, these precious felines have solved crimes for the local police and it looks like their help will be needed once again.

Three recent robberies were committed in the area but only one item from each theft was taken. The evil black cat known as Azrael is back in town and since he always hooks up with criminals, the trio of felines believes he is somehow involved. Kate, Lucinda and Pedria Greenlow have some very unusual jewelry in their possession and someone wants it badly enough to kill which gives Joe Grey his first clue on the road to discovering who is responsible for a variety of crimes.

Fans of Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series, Carol Nelson Douglass's Midnight Louie mysteries and Richard Bach's tales will purr with pleasure while reading this whimsical amateur sleuth tale. The investigation into a slick cat burglar is fun to follow for those who enjoy personification starring delightful cat detectives and hissing at feline villains. Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Joe Grey mysteries are so delightful; it is hard to for the next one to come to life.

Harriet Klausner